Drew Powell '98 "Lives the Hollywood Dream": Indianapolis Star

March 27, 2011

March 27, 2011, Greencastle, Ind. — "Ever wondered about the animators, set designers and actors working on your favorite movies or TV shows? Well, some of them actually grew up right here in Indiana," writes Joe Shearer in today's Indianapolis Star. The piece, headlined "Hoosiers live the Hollywood dream," includes a profile of actor Drew Powell.

"A native of Lebanon and a graduate of DePauw University, Powell's love of acting grew out of the Avon movie theater ('featured in the movie Hoosiers, by the way,' he notes). Taken by the magic of cinema, Powell made the decision to head west while a senior at DePauw University, when he was offered a job as the youth director at a Northern California church. 'I packed up my car and headed west two weeks after graduation,' he said. Powell was noticed by a talent agent while doing a staged reading of Our Town at the church, and soon found himself in front of cameras shooting a role on the television show Malcolm in the Middle. That role (Cadet Drew) went over so well, it became a recurring one on the hit TV show."

The article continues, "Since then, Powell has appeared in numerous television shows, including The Office, ER, CSI, Cold Case, Without a Trace and Monk. His film credits include 1408 (opposite John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson), The Marine, Starship Troopers 2 and the upcoming remake of Straw Dogs." (at right: Powell with Steve Carell in an episode of The Office)

The 1998 DePauw University graduate, who was an English (literature) major and Media Fellow, says acting gives him the "feeling of marrying the thrill of the performance with the almost mystic power of the cinema," and points to his role as Hoss Cartwright on the PAX series The Ponderosa as a life-changing opportunity.

"I got to play an iconic cowboy while living in the beautiful hill country outside of Melbourne, Australia, and I met my wife, all in nine months," Powell tells the Star. "That was a job that will not likely be topped."